This Is Where I Want To Be

119. Past Revealed

Louis

Walking out on En-gannim was a fantastic feeling. Last time with Soren and Isla, I didn't have time to take it in. Marcus wanted to leave before my uncle changed his mind. The sand-colored buildings complemented the surroundings so much. Juliet had told me how she felt at home there. I had a few moments to try and sense what she meant... We had to immediately travel to Palmyra before Ahasuerus heard about it or could follow and stop us.

Looking over to Juliet and Marcus... Her hand was in his every time we traveled. She was getting attached. They were spending most of the time together. He didn't leave her for a second. It was my own fault. I was doing what I did in France, standing back so they could connect. But the second time around, it was different. There was no cause, and Marcus wouldn't leave, not like Chris. And when she wasn't with Marcus, Michael was there. Knowing both of them, they weren't going to give me a gap unless I took it.

We exited at a spot a little away from the village. There was a lot of water, and most of the traveling would be by boat. It wasn't hard to find someone to take us downriver. Mateo did all the talking.

"You are the second group that wanted a boat." The man said.

"Who was here?" I asked.

The guy saw Sita and Bertram in his thoughts. "A woman and a man." We nodded.

"But you are not far behind."

I helped Juliet into the boat, turning my back on Marcus on the shore. When I sat down, challenging eyes stared back at me. I pulled Juliet down next to me and put my fingers through hers. She watched the interchange with interest. Her eyes darted from me to Marcus. Mateo eyed the whole story from his side. Even the boat guy was watching us.

"Were you guys not trained at school on how to make a schedule?"

Marcus started laughing. Juliet's heart always beat faster when Marcus was happy. Her thoughts went to his mouth. Since he decided to stay, he was all smiles. A schedule seemed like an excellent idea.

***

It was a small village on the shore. We heard the screams from far away. Mateo manifested and jumped out of the boat onto the beach, running like a wolf. We heard growls, and I sat frozen. It was the same as the day my father died. Someone had released an infected wolf onto the village. Juliet was manifested, eyes glossy and behind Mateo by seconds. She was fast and didn't even look back. Just wanted to help.

Marcus jumped to follow... He glanced back at me... "Louis, come on!"

I couldn't move. That day replayed in my mind. My father fought for so long to get the wolf tired enough to stop and assess the situation. My mother Noya was pregnant with me when they came to Earth... Back then... No one knew. We didn't even know there were werewolves on Earth... In the twenty years I was with my family, we learned a lot from Samuel.

At first, my father had thought it was a normal wolf they could get back to human form, but that one didn't. We realized it was different. We should have known when we saw the eyes. Someone wasn't watched and bit a human, and they changed. Not that a vampire could get infected... But we could still die. My father was tired, and the wolf came at him.

Marcus couldn't wait for me anymore. Juliet was calling out to him. He ran, and I listened to the yelp, followed by another. They were fighting together, getting the better of the creature. Mateo was helping, and they were calling out to each other.

I saw Bertram and Sita with some more werewolves. They had two bodies with them, approaching another boat up the shore. I could not help Juliet, but I could stop them. I snuck up on the boatman and killed him outright. Dragged him into the bushes when their backs were turned.